The NW200 Ducati team gained some positive results at the ultra fast Snetterton Circuit today, 15th June, in round five of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Riders Michael Rutter riding the Ducati F08 Ducati gained a ninth place in the opening 21-lap race and a strong fourth place in the second, wet 15-lap race. Team-mate John Laverty on the 1098 R Buildbase NW200 Ducati got two consistent second places in the Daily Star Cup races.
Rutter struggled slightly in the first Superbike race with power issues at the extremely fast 1.9-mile circuit; he had to settle for ninth position after battling hard with James Ellison. The second race saw the weather conditions deteriorate rapidly as the Norfolk track was hit with thunder, lightning and heavy rain. A previous accident prior to the Superbike race at the Russell chicane, saw a large amount of oil fall on the track, the wet conditions meant that the Race Directors had to ensure the track was safe before sending the Superbikes out. This forced the race to be delayed and cut short to 15-laps and not 21-laps as originally planned.
Rutter gained a good start and was fortunate to avoid a collision with Karl Harris when he crashed at the Esses. Falling back to sixth at one point Rutter got his head down in the closing stages of the race and made smooth passes on Michael Laverty and Leon Haslam taking fourth place at the chequered flag, he now only lies one point behind James Ellison for fifth in the Championship.
Speaking with Rutter he said;"I struggled a bit throughout the weekend with the Ducati and we have to try and solve the problem and be back on the pace at Mallory. I managed to qualify on the second row but knew that I would have my work cut out during the races. Snetterton is such a fast circuit and I had to work hard to stay with the front runners. The bad weather for the second race seemed to work in my favour as it slowed the pace down slightly. I was a bit careful out there for the first few laps, as there was a lot of standing water but I pushed harder mid way through the race and got back past Michael and Leon. I'm pleased with the second race result and looking forward to Mallory with it being my home circuit."
John Laverty further extended his lead in the Daily Star Cup Championship to 93-points from his nearest rival Martin Jessopp. Laverty rode two solid places and gained two second places in the Cup and two sixteenth places in the overall Superbike races. Laverty who has been dominating the Daily Star Cup has had his work cut out since former Superbike racer Gary Mason returned to the Championship, Mason has previously finished overall in the top ten in the Superbike class and therefore is providing Laverty with some fierce competition.
Laverty commented;"I'm pleased with my two second place finishes as I'm still riding on the stock Ducati so I'm having to work very hard to stay with the Superbike boys. I'm enjoying the challenge but it sometimes proves difficult as I want to try and get better results in the overall series. The team once again worked really hard for me and I'm glad I was able to get two podiums for them! Gary (Mason) is pushing me hard and hopefully we can have a better battle at Mallory in a couple of weeks time. I still have a good lead in the Championship and want to keep working on extending that lead."
Race One Result: 1. Camier -Ducati
2. Byrne - Ducati
3. Sykes - Suzuki
9. Rutter - North West 200 Ducati16. J Laverty - Buildbase NW200 Ducati Race One Daily Star Cup Result: 1. Mason - Honda
2. J Laverty - Buildbase NW200 Ducati3. Morris - Ducati
Race Two Result: 1. Byrne - Ducati
2. Camier - Ducati
3. Crutchlow - Honda
4. Rutter - North West 200 Ducati16. J Laverty - Buildbase NW200 Ducati Race Two Daily Star Cup Results: 1. Mason - Honda
2. J Laverty - Buildbase NW200 Ducati3. Tunstall - Honda
Championship Standings: 1. Byrne 235
2. Camier 152
3. Crutchlow 151
4. Haslam 118
5. Ellison 103
6. Rutter 102 Daliy Star Cup Standings: 1. J Laverty 1912. Jessopp 98
3, Tunstall 97
Words by Carly RathmellRelated Link:www.nw200ducati.com
